Introduction

Leith is located on the Firth of Forth in south east Scotland. It was for many centuries Scotland’s premier port. In 1833 it became a separate burgh with its own Town Council. It became part of the City of Edinburgh in 1920.

While the story of Leith is in part the story of Kings and Queens, Merchants and Mariners, it is more the story of the ‘ordinary’ people who lived in Leith and worked in its docks and industries - often in conditions that we would regard as intolerable nowadays.

The history of Leith has something to offer both to people interested in Leith itself and those who are interested in social, maritime, industrial and transport history.